You Stopped Exercising. The Gains That Stuck Around Might Surprise You.

You and I both know that I  am not a fitness influencer.

I host a science channel. So I am here with the relatable fitness content; the guidance for the average  person who tries to be a little   healthier by making a resolution  to go to the gym every January… and never makes it through the whole year.

When you, perhaps inevitably, stop exercising, it  can feel like all of that effort was for nothing.

Like you lose the gains  that you worked so hard for.

But there’s research out there  telling a different story.

Studies suggest that even if  you give up exercising after   only weeks of sticking to your goal,  you keep some of the improvements.

You can pick up that good habit  months or even years later and   still benefit from the work you put in before.

As it turns out, your burst of motivation can  help you out for longer than you might think.

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You know exercise is good for you, and so do I. That’s why every year, around January,   we spend just enough time using that  gym membership to justify keeping it.

Many people quit after a matter of weeks.

So many that there’s a name for this time  after a New Year when your gym empties out.

It’s called “quitters’ day.” So if you’re thinking about dialing the exercise  back right around now, you’re not alone.

Whenever your own personal quitters’ day is,   that’s when you begin the  long process of detraining.

This results in your body slowly losing the gains  you made during your temporary training regimen.

And luckily, it doesn’t all happen immediately.

In fact, some of those gains stick with you   for long enough that your next  gym attempt is more effective.

Now perhaps, you’re watching  this video from a treadmill,   still going strong with  your New Year’s resolution.

But if your resolve is starting to waver,   whatever time you’ve already spent  working on yourself has been worth it.

Let’s say you stick it out for  16 weeks of exercise this year.